Best Christmas Performance Ever? Nikola Jokic Makes NBA History, Leaves Fans In Awe
Nikola Jokić put together possibly the greatest Christmas Day performance in NBA history to lead the Denver Nuggets to a 142-138 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The two-time MVP finished with a triple-double that consisted of a Christmas Day-record 56 points, 16 rebounds and 15 assists, as well as two blocks in the overtime win.
Those numbers on their own are impressive enough, but Jokić stepped up his game when Denver needed it by setting another league record with 18 points in the overtime period.
Even though it's become common to see Jokić do the absurd on a nightly basis, his Nuggets teammate Peyton Watson admitted Thursday's game was a different level for him.
Jokić's game was so impressive that it was able to overshadow an incredible outing by Anthony Edwards. The T-Wolves superstar put up 44 points, six rebounds and three steals in 42 minutes, but he wasn't around for all of the game after being ejected with 20 seconds remaining in overtime.
Fans and analysts had nothing but praise for the iconic performance from Jokić.
This was a game of huge momentum swings for both clubs. Neither team was able to gain much separation in the first half, as the Nuggets held the largest lead of the first two quarters at nine points before the Timberwolves quickly responded with a 17-0 run.
The Nuggets looked like they were going to start pulling away in the third quarter when they outscored Minnesota 35-23 to lead by as many as 16 points.
Minnesota responded with a 37 point fourth quarter to even the score, capped off by Edwards' three with one second remaining to tie the game at 115 and force overtime.
The Nuggets have now won all three games against the Timberwolves to open their 2025-26 campaign, allowing them to clinch the season series and give them the head-to-head tiebreaker as they battle in the Western Conference standings.
Denver sits in third place in the West with a 22-8 record. Minnesota is in the No. 5 spot at 20-11, but it is only one game behind the Los Angeles Lakers in the loss column as it pursues home-court advantage in a first-round playoff series in the spring.
